BOLTON Wanderers are to play their part in the planned re-launch of Manchester Storm ice hockey team.

The Storm was liquidated this week but at an emergency meeting at Manchester Town Hall over 500 Storm fans voted to create a new club and complete the season.

To have any chance of having a team up and running in time for their derby game against arch-rivals Sheffield Steelers on November 17 they must raise £100,000 by the beginning of next week.

Bucket collections will be taking place at Premiership games over the weekend and Wanderers have given the go-ahead for fans to raise funds at Saturday's game against West Bromwich Albion.

Brian Storey, Chief Executive of the Ice Hockey Superleague (ISL), said that the franchise was currently on sale to interested parties for the sum of £1.00 - provided they have the other £450,000 available to get the new team through to the end of the season.

Storm coach Daryl Lipsey has pledged his future to the project as long as there is a chance of something happening, but with just three former Storm players still in the country, he admits that signing another thirteen within a week, plus reaching the training and fitness levels that will be needed to face the current runaway league leaders is a "tall order."

The group behind the new team project - The Friends of Manchester Ice Hockey - have enlisted the help of sports entrepreneur Craig Bown, a Birmingham businessman who owns the successful Birmingham Bullets basketball team, and who was in the frame to take over the Sheffield Steelers when they hit financial problems two years ago. A pledge line for donations (0161 876 7862) to the cause will be operating from 10am - 10pm until Monday evening, when the group hope to have the funds they need.

Spokesman Andy Costigan told the B.E.N: "Logically, it seems crazy, madness. But with the amount of goodwill and the passion for top-class ice hockey that exists in the north west, it could be possible. We just need to try and get this new club off the ground in seven days, then we can finish the season and look towards the future on a smaller scale, with a different league set-up."

Brian Storey also confirmed that the ISL will cease to exist at the end of the current season, and that a merger with the healthier British National League was being discussed. This came on the same day that league effectively went into meltdown with the news that the Scottish Eagles - whose move from Ayr to Glasgow has also been a financial disaster - were facing a cash crisis identical to Storm's, and were likely to fold within the next few days, bringing the league to a completely unsustainable total of five teams.